Tired of blaming anyone foreign of attacking our economy, our jobs, Christmas and all things British, the Daily Mail has set its sights on a new cause – they can now be rightly blamed for stealing the most important thing of all, football, it would appear. In a barely veiled racist tirade, Paul Harris attacks each and every aspect of the England United FIFA World Cup 2018 bid video which doesn’t include scenes of Britain’s white and pleasant land.

Harris rages:

“Gosh, didn’t we look global. So multicultural, so diverse… Then we’re off to somewhere else in the world (maybe the Third World) to watch some kids have a kickabout in the street…

“Much of the remaining video focuses on a range of ethnically diverse figures celebrating our national game from afar.”

The columnist doesn’t even bother to check what country it might be, in the inane mind of the Daily Mail writer, for dark skinned – read third world. Harris barely contains his hatred of anything that isn’t all things British, or what it is British in the narrow corridors of his mind, even stooping to attack the decision to include a man in the video who dares to wear a ‘multi-coloured scarf’, as opposed to the far more respectable Union Flag.

The article is strewn with pictures of these very ‘non-British scenes’, probably to ensure readers who do not have the time to read the tirade still have enough provocation to incite them into a self righteous rage.

Harris also attacks David Cameron, David Beckham and Prince William, and lays into “a young man waving Liverpool colours from a rickshaw”, “African and Asian spectators” and “a Caribbean family dancing with delight as a vital goal is scored”.

Here is the inspirational video which got the Mail so worked up:

In addition to the sheer unpleasantness of Harris’s piece, on grounds of basic logic it just doesn’t add up – one of the key reasons London won the 2012 Olympics was precisely because we are so multicultural, because in London you will find people of every nationality, supporting all nations, with all competitors able to feel at home, and because the global legacy of our bid was greater than any other on offer.

In any case, Harris need not be that despondent; after all, in Russia, were he and his ignorant supporters to feel the urge, they can sing racist songs on the terraces with impunity.

Deborah Segalini

Really? Well I never.
Perhaps a country that values and wishes to develop all kinds of football and shows it in its promotional video, stands a better chance of winning the privilege of hosting the world cup.
Plus, it would have given the DM yet more grounds to complain.

Mark Stevo

As obnoxious as this article is I’m reluctant to draw attention to it. As I understand it (based on what I know about Moir’s Fry article) the author will be compensated for every click. The author is just seeking attention and we shouldn’t give it to him.

Sean Creighton

The key issue is not whether England got a fair deal in the FIFA World Cup draw but the need for action to investigate the alleged corruption.

The English representative on the FIFA Executive to table a motion for an investiagtion to be started, and to seek support from other Exeutive members and the wider membership of FIFA for that motion to be approved.

If the motion is rejected then England should withdraw from membership on the grounds it does not wish to be associated with a body that is not prepared to take seriously allegations of corruption that have been made.

The second issue is for a public debate about the other aspect of the Panorama programme’s revelations about the legislative requirements of FIFA on national governments if their countries’ bids are to be considered. If Panorama is correct it is absolutely scandalous that the Government (the previous and the current) were prepared to support the bid.